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Get the Truth: Former CIA Officers Teach You How to Persuade Anyone to Tell All
An instant New York Times bestseller!
Getting someone to tell the truth is an essential skill that very few people possess. In the boardroom, classroom, or our own homes, every day we interact with others and try to get the truth from them.
People are often untruthful out of fear of negative consequences associated with divulging information. But if a person is made to forget the long-term outcomes of lying, he or she can be influenced to disclose sensitive information that's being withheld. The aim is to encourage the person to remain in short-term thinking mode, shifting focus away from the long-term ramifications of telling the truth.
As former CIA agents and bestselling authors of Spy the Lie, Philip Houston, Mike Floyd, and Susan Carnicero are among the world's best at detecting deceptive behavior and eliciting the truth from even the most accomplished liars. Get the Truth is a step-by-step guide that empowers readers to elicit the truth from others. It also chronicles the fascinating story of how the authors used a methodology Houston developed to elicit the truth in the counterterrorism and criminal investigation realms, and how these techniques can be applied to our daily lives. Using thrilling anecdotes from their careers in counterintelligence, and with easy-to-follow instructions, the authors provide a foolproof means of getting absolutely anybody to give an honest answer.
Get the Truth is the easy and effective way to learn how to get the truth every time.
Getting someone to tell the truth is an essential skill that very few people possess. In the boardroom, classroom, or our own homes, every day we interact with others and try to get the truth from them.
People are often untruthful out of fear of negative consequences associated with divulging information. But if a person is made to forget the long-term outcomes of lying, he or she can be influenced to disclose sensitive information that's being withheld. The aim is to encourage the person to remain in short-term thinking mode, shifting focus away from the long-term ramifications of telling the truth.
As former CIA agents and bestselling authors of Spy the Lie, Philip Houston, Mike Floyd, and Susan Carnicero are among the world's best at detecting deceptive behavior and eliciting the truth from even the most accomplished liars. Get the Truth is a step-by-step guide that empowers readers to elicit the truth from others. It also chronicles the fascinating story of how the authors used a methodology Houston developed to elicit the truth in the counterterrorism and criminal investigation realms, and how these techniques can be applied to our daily lives. Using thrilling anecdotes from their careers in counterintelligence, and with easy-to-follow instructions, the authors provide a foolproof means of getting absolutely anybody to give an honest answer.
Get the Truth is the easy and effective way to learn how to get the truth every time.
272 pages, Hardcover
First published October 7, 2014
238 people are currently reading
1584 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 88 reviews
September 23, 2015
Not much substance, lots of dramatic fluff. There is basically just one main idea - when you need someone to be honest with you, be their friend. Don't make them feel like they're being attacked, it will make them defensive. Work to understand their point of view. The authors give some examples, including having to interrogate people who are guilty of terrible crimes. It can be really difficult to be empathic in that situation, but that's what you need to do to encourage them to open up.
The book just repeats that from different angles for 14 chapters, so I just saved you a lot of time.
The book just repeats that from different angles for 14 chapters, so I just saved you a lot of time.
November 19, 2015
Really, really bad. The first 150 pages were descriptions of successful interrogations of terrorists and criminals that could be summed up in 2-3 sentences. Wait, you didn't waste your time! Here's a hypothetical interrogation of O.J. Simpson! The End.
Oh, wait. Not the end. Here's a 60 (!) page appendix that covers what the title promises. Oh, and here's a transcript of the actual.O.J. Simpson interrogation in case you paid money for this book and will accept higher word count in place of writing quality.
These people might be good at their jobs, but that doesn't mean that they have the skills to convey that information. It's unfortunate, but this was a massive waste of time.
Oh, wait. Not the end. Here's a 60 (!) page appendix that covers what the title promises. Oh, and here's a transcript of the actual.O.J. Simpson interrogation in case you paid money for this book and will accept higher word count in place of writing quality.
These people might be good at their jobs, but that doesn't mean that they have the skills to convey that information. It's unfortunate, but this was a massive waste of time.
July 17, 2018
The book did a couple of surprising things:
1) Completely invalidated enhanced interrogation as a way to get to the truth. (See also, The Honest Truth About Dishonesty: How We Lie to Everyone - Especially Ourselves for why.)
2) Had a lot of content that is extremely useful in sales, negotiations, mediation, and legal advocacy. The authors missed a pretty big market in how the publisher chose to title the book.
1) Completely invalidated enhanced interrogation as a way to get to the truth. (See also, The Honest Truth About Dishonesty: How We Lie to Everyone - Especially Ourselves for why.)
2) Had a lot of content that is extremely useful in sales, negotiations, mediation, and legal advocacy. The authors missed a pretty big market in how the publisher chose to title the book.
October 9, 2017
This review may be a bit biased because I've attended the authors live workshop. I found this to be an excellent refresher and reference for the materials and exercises we covered in the workshop. Having spent a large portion of the last 40 years interviewing and interrogating both before and during my career as a lawyer, I found the methods and techniques laid out in this book, and its companion, Spy the Lie, to be a refreshing change from methods I employed.
I only wish this book had been written 40 years ago.
I only wish this book had been written 40 years ago.
February 25, 2018
Such a promising title, such an engaging topic, such great potential... and everything gone to waste on this one. What precious information this book may have can be summed up in a brochure. The stories about successful interrogations make the bad guys act like fiveyearolds with no clue how to withstand an interrogation well within their line of work. And the whole book was so dumbed down, unnecessarily... I was really looking forward to this one and all I got from it was Ugh!
August 15, 2016
Super interesting! Confirms so much of what I've always believed, and done. Ha! Makes me wish I'd gone into the CIA. Works out well for teacher/student conversations as well though.
June 26, 2018
This is a book by experienced interrogators on techniques and strategies to get people to tell the truth against their will. It contains many interesting stories and intriguing theories. However, I found it hard to draw from the book lessons that can be applied to daily lives.
The primary strategies in the book rely on the ability to separate the subject of interrogation from the reality. You get him to think in short terms such as winning your approval while forgetting about the long-term consequences of his confession. You appeal to his “decency” and “honesty,” which you implicitly assume he has. You pretend to be “on his side,” to “understand” his story and bend it to a positive light, to reduce the gravity of admitting wrongdoing.
I think this may work for people who are generally good but made mistakes (such as security violations or thefts). However, for remorseless criminals or methodic adversaries, that is probably a different story.
In daily lives of ordinary people, we usually encounter lies that are harmless or motivated by explicit interest calculations. We usually cannot confront the other party in an interrogation setting, and there is not so much guilt to be exploited. Therefore, I think this book is an interesting exhibit of the irrational human behaviors, but it is not as practically helpful as the authors promised.
The primary strategies in the book rely on the ability to separate the subject of interrogation from the reality. You get him to think in short terms such as winning your approval while forgetting about the long-term consequences of his confession. You appeal to his “decency” and “honesty,” which you implicitly assume he has. You pretend to be “on his side,” to “understand” his story and bend it to a positive light, to reduce the gravity of admitting wrongdoing.
I think this may work for people who are generally good but made mistakes (such as security violations or thefts). However, for remorseless criminals or methodic adversaries, that is probably a different story.
In daily lives of ordinary people, we usually encounter lies that are harmless or motivated by explicit interest calculations. We usually cannot confront the other party in an interrogation setting, and there is not so much guilt to be exploited. Therefore, I think this book is an interesting exhibit of the irrational human behaviors, but it is not as practically helpful as the authors promised.
August 20, 2018
Interesting ideas about how to talk with someone in order to elicit the truth, in addition to how to apply some of the ideas to negotiation situations.
The authors clearly and helpfully detail effective interrogating techniques (e.g., bait questions, planting mind viruses, using catch-all questions), while also describing some unconscious biases that can prevent an interrogator from being effective (e.g., confirmation bias, optimism bias, the halo effect).
To really be good at this would take a lot of practice and role-playing, but even without doing that, I think the average reader can pick up a few tips about how to be better at drawing out information from someone who may be hesitant to give it.
The authors clearly and helpfully detail effective interrogating techniques (e.g., bait questions, planting mind viruses, using catch-all questions), while also describing some unconscious biases that can prevent an interrogator from being effective (e.g., confirmation bias, optimism bias, the halo effect).
To really be good at this would take a lot of practice and role-playing, but even without doing that, I think the average reader can pick up a few tips about how to be better at drawing out information from someone who may be hesitant to give it.
August 18, 2020
Not much of it. A lot of dramatic stuff, as someone said. Everything mainly focuses on a monologue you should say, but it's not really much substance to it.
If you really want to read it, just skip to the Appendix II and you might find some info about real life applications, but that's also mostly common sense stuff, nothing groundbreaking.
If you really want to read it, just skip to the Appendix II and you might find some info about real life applications, but that's also mostly common sense stuff, nothing groundbreaking.
May 28, 2019
I remember my first clinical course, back during graduate school there was a student who believed the process of therapy was unstructured, for example, "Why can't I just ask what I want to ask?." He repeatedly fought back as the professor tried to provide us with even the most basic understanding of the therapeutic process. After that 1st semester, the student was asked to leave the program and never returned.
The therapeutic process has a structure that is systematic and predictable - it is not merely asking questions and listening. The book "Get the Truth" is very similar in this regard. The interview process is also a structured systematic process that requires preparation and skill. The interrogation process even more so. As a clinician, we are taught these skills. For the layperson, this book offers a terrific introduction to a skill that can be utilized in many areas of daily life.
For those with experience, the Authors provide an important adaption to the REID technique which has recently fallen out of favor, primarily because of its coercive nature when used by those heavily influenced by cognitive bias (for example, confirmation bias). Indeed, the problem with most of these types of techniques is that they can result in responses that are not entirely accurate (at best) or coercive (read, false confessions; at worst).
The Authors are very clear to point out these problems and offer solutions to avoid such trappings.
The therapeutic process has a structure that is systematic and predictable - it is not merely asking questions and listening. The book "Get the Truth" is very similar in this regard. The interview process is also a structured systematic process that requires preparation and skill. The interrogation process even more so. As a clinician, we are taught these skills. For the layperson, this book offers a terrific introduction to a skill that can be utilized in many areas of daily life.
For those with experience, the Authors provide an important adaption to the REID technique which has recently fallen out of favor, primarily because of its coercive nature when used by those heavily influenced by cognitive bias (for example, confirmation bias). Indeed, the problem with most of these types of techniques is that they can result in responses that are not entirely accurate (at best) or coercive (read, false confessions; at worst).
The Authors are very clear to point out these problems and offer solutions to avoid such trappings.
December 14, 2020
Fun, fast read. Airport bookstore material. Recommended by a colleague.
The general thesis of their approach is:
1. Be calming, respectful, non-adversarial.
2. Fact-gather in an objective, methodical manner.
3. Then once you have sufficient confidence: transition from dialogue to an extended monologue.
4. The point of the monologue (and the crux of the whole strategy) is to get them stuck listening, and not long-term rationalizing.
5. The content you want to deliver is a colloquial re-telling of their story in your own words that has been strengthened by impact minimization, projection of blame elsewhere, and socialization/normalization of the whole shebang. You want to give them an easy emotional “out”.. A story they can accept and build on that allows them to acknowledge the bad act without accepting that they are a bad person.
6. Then once they have emotionally committed to your story, you build it out with them, asking for all the pertinent details while thanking and rewarding them after each small share.
The insight that sits behind all this is that: Guilty person just wants to be understood, just wants to feel seen/respected. The truth is bursting to come out, but they need to be in a mindset where they don’t feel overwhelmed by implications, or dissonance with their positive self-identity.
Sun Tzu: “Build your opponent a golden bridge to retreat across.”
QUOTES
The general thesis of their approach is:
1. Be calming, respectful, non-adversarial.
2. Fact-gather in an objective, methodical manner.
3. Then once you have sufficient confidence: transition from dialogue to an extended monologue.
4. The point of the monologue (and the crux of the whole strategy) is to get them stuck listening, and not long-term rationalizing.
5. The content you want to deliver is a colloquial re-telling of their story in your own words that has been strengthened by impact minimization, projection of blame elsewhere, and socialization/normalization of the whole shebang. You want to give them an easy emotional “out”.. A story they can accept and build on that allows them to acknowledge the bad act without accepting that they are a bad person.
6. Then once they have emotionally committed to your story, you build it out with them, asking for all the pertinent details while thanking and rewarding them after each small share.
The insight that sits behind all this is that: Guilty person just wants to be understood, just wants to feel seen/respected. The truth is bursting to come out, but they need to be in a mindset where they don’t feel overwhelmed by implications, or dissonance with their positive self-identity.
Sun Tzu: “Build your opponent a golden bridge to retreat across.”
QUOTES
“An interview is a dialogue. An interrogation, counterintuitive as it may seem, is a monologue.”
“The monologue is meant to prevent the person from focusing on the ramifications of the wrongdoing by keeping him in short-term thinking mode. We help him alleviate the pain he’s feeling by giving him a remedy: a convincing argument, strengthened by rationalization, minimization, and socialization, that resolves the conflict. The resolution allows him to acknowledge the bad act, without having to accept the premise that he’s a bad person.”
“In fact, when the aim is to elicit the truth, short-term thinking isn’t about instilling fear—it’s about minimizing or eliminating it.”
“We’ve heard it said that a guilty person just wants to be understood, because being understood allows him to feel that he’s been forgiven. That observation encapsulates what the monologue is designed and executed to accomplish.”
“William Ury describes this approach by referring to the instruction of Sun Tzu: “Build your opponent a golden bridge to retreat across.” He can claim victory, and take credit for the outcome.”
“Make a conscious effort to speak slowly and distinctly. Placing an emphasis on some of the key words will help you slow down. The idea is to come across as unrushed and controlled, which in turn creates a more easygoing, relaxed mood.”
“Elements of a monologue: rationalize their actions, project the blame elsewhere (society, victim, etc), minimize the seriousness, socialize their situation and feelings, emphasize the importance and redemption of the truth”
“Maintain a noncoercive, nonadversarial demeanor throughout the process. Always treat the subject with dignity, respect, and compassion. • Make the person feel good about disclosing information by rewarding him with statements like, “Thanks for sharing that,” or “That’s helpful, thank you.” •…”
“The beauty of the transition statement is that it immediately conveys to the individual that nothing she has done up to that point to try to beat you has worked, yet that painful message is delivered below the radar, where it doesn’t trigger her defenses and create an adversarial relationship. Now she’s thinking, since what she’s been doing has been unsuccessful, where does she go from here? How should she handle it? Should she give you a little bit? Should she try to blame it on someone else? She’s trying to rethink her game plan, and guess what. You’re right there to give her some other things to think about. Since everything she was thinking about before just blew up in her face, what you give her to think about might just sound pretty good—especially when it’s delivered in such a low-key, non confrontational manner.”
“Here’s a list of some sample transition statements that illustrate the gradation from gentle to strong along the scale from direct observation of concern to direct observation of guilt: • You seem to be thinking about something. • Something is clearly on your mind. • Something seems to be bothering you when we talk about … • You seem uncertain when you say … • When I ask you about _____, I can see some concern on your face. • I’m a little uncomfortable with your answer. • I have some concerns about what you’re telling me. • Based on our conversation, it appears you have more to tell us. • I think you need to rethink your answer. • I have a problem with some of the things you’ve told me. • We’ve completed our investigation and, frankly, we can’t eliminate you from our list of suspects. •…”
“Keeping the commitment/consistency principle at the top of your mind can be very helpful in avoiding the trap of falling prey to those who would be inclined to use it against you. Have you ever noticed that highly effective salespeople have you fill out the contract or purchase order, especially when there is a cooling-off period that would allow you to cancel the contract? This approach is routinely taught in sales seminars, especially in states where cooling-off statutes have been enacted. Similarly, in the legal realm, lawyers routinely have their clients fill out retainer contracts, writing in the prices and terms, initialing here, signing there. Is all of that really necessary? Yes, if you want them to be committed to the contract.”
November 7, 2019
The main premise is that the best way to extract true information is to do so in a friendly non-combative and nonjudgmental way. Useful and interesting as long as you DO NOT SKIP THE APPENDIX. (Except, you can skip the transcript of the real OJ interview though- interesting but not necessary.) I worry that anyone who reads this would be more resistant to interrogation though.
April 9, 2021
做了笔记,可惜一次断电让笔记都变成了乱码.好在本书最后的 glossary 挺有价值
本书的主要内容是反对刑讯逼供和严刑拷打,推崇循循善诱的说服技术,以达成对方的合作,要灵活运用 interview 和 monologue 模式进行"套话".
刑讯逼供和严刑拷打的虽然受到很多人直觉上的推崇,但是确实错误的,难以得到有效的信息:
Under such agonizing circumstances, we admit to and apologize for things we haven’t done, and we make up things that we think people want to hear. This is why blackmail and extortion are punished so severely in criminal law: Subjecting people to this form of emotional torment can cause them to do things they would otherwise never do.
本书的前半部分是以一些真实案例说明 interview 和 monologue 两种模式的运用细节.
后一部分加入了针对每章内容的评论,从行为学,心理学的角度更细致地阐述了为什么这样做更好.而且,这种方法不仅适用于抓出间谍的场合,也可以用于商务谈判,家庭内部等多种场合.
另外,本书还提到了影响力(https://book.douban.com/subject/17863....
<影响力>里面的内容:
战俘营里定期举办政治征文比赛。获胜的奖品没什么大不了的——几支香烟、一些水果，但在战俘营里这些也相当稀罕，战俘们还是非常感兴趣的。通常，获奖的文章都确凿无疑地站在支持C国的立场上……但也不一定。C国人很聪明地意识到，要是比赛只有靠写支持C国的传单才能得奖的话，大多数囚犯是不会参赛的。此外，C国人也很明白，只要能在战俘心里种上一棵对和平承诺的小小种子，靠着悉心培育，以后是会开花结果的。 所以，也有一些整体上支持A国立场、但对C国的看法稍微附和了一两处的文章获奖。这种策略完全带来了C国人想要看到的结果。战俘们一次又一次地自发参赛，因为他们发现，写赞美自己祖国的文章也能获奖。然而，在有意无意之间，他们逐渐把文章的基调调整得更加偏向C国了一些，以便得到更大的胜算。而凡是让了步的文章，C国人都很欢迎，因为这样他们才好向当事人施以保持一致的压力。从C国的立场来看，战俘自愿写的这些文章是一份完美的承诺。靠着它，战俘的合作和立场转换很快就能顺理成章地确立起来。
销售商的例子:宝洁和通用食品这类大公司为什么总是要举办“25、50或100字”的宣传征文比赛。
征文比赛的目的是让尽量多的人写下对一种产品的表白，就跟C国人在战俘营搞政治征文比赛一样，两种情形的过程都一样。为了得到吸引人的奖品，参与者自愿写文章——尽管获胜的概率很小。他们知道，要想文章胜出，就必须赞美相关的产品。于是，他们开始寻找该产品值得称道的地方，并在文章里加以描述。随之而来的结果是，成千上万的人以书面形式证明了该产品具有这样那样的优点，在书面文字的神奇推动之下，他们真正相信了自己写下的东西。
Get the Truth 里面的记载:
When the Chinese took American prisoners during the Korean War, they knew that they would face strong resistance in their efforts to get the Americans to provide information, or to willingly serve as conduits of propaganda. However, they were able to achieve many of their aims by means of a simple tool of influence that’s extremely powerful in overcoming resistance. It’s what the social psychologist Robert Cialdini refers to in his book Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion as commitment/consistency.
Rather than employ torture or other crude methods that were, at best, limited in their effectiveness, the Chinese, Cialdini points out, simply persuaded the Americans to make small concessions, in writing. Over time, the psychological impact of the concessions increased, and the prisoners’ statements grew to be more and more reflective of sentiments that could be considered as pro-Chinese and anti-Western. The Chinese intelligence officers had tapped into a strong psychological driver: the desire people have to act consistently with their public statements and with the image of how they are perceived.
本书的主要内容是反对刑讯逼供和严刑拷打,推崇循循善诱的说服技术,以达成对方的合作,要灵活运用 interview 和 monologue 模式进行"套话".
刑讯逼供和严刑拷打的虽然受到很多人直觉上的推崇,但是确实错误的,难以得到有效的信息:
Under such agonizing circumstances, we admit to and apologize for things we haven’t done, and we make up things that we think people want to hear. This is why blackmail and extortion are punished so severely in criminal law: Subjecting people to this form of emotional torment can cause them to do things they would otherwise never do.
本书的前半部分是以一些真实案例说明 interview 和 monologue 两种模式的运用细节.
后一部分加入了针对每章内容的评论,从行为学,心理学的角度更细致地阐述了为什么这样做更好.而且,这种方法不仅适用于抓出间谍的场合,也可以用于商务谈判,家庭内部等多种场合.
另外,本书还提到了影响力(https://book.douban.com/subject/17863....
<影响力>里面的内容:
战俘营里定期举办政治征文比赛。获胜的奖品没什么大不了的——几支香烟、一些水果，但在战俘营里这些也相当稀罕，战俘们还是非常感兴趣的。通常，获奖的文章都确凿无疑地站在支持C国的立场上……但也不一定。C国人很聪明地意识到，要是比赛只有靠写支持C国的传单才能得奖的话，大多数囚犯是不会参赛的。此外，C国人也很明白，只要能在战俘心里种上一棵对和平承诺的小小种子，靠着悉心培育，以后是会开花结果的。 所以，也有一些整体上支持A国立场、但对C国的看法稍微附和了一两处的文章获奖。这种策略完全带来了C国人想要看到的结果。战俘们一次又一次地自发参赛，因为他们发现，写赞美自己祖国的文章也能获奖。然而，在有意无意之间，他们逐渐把文章的基调调整得更加偏向C国了一些，以便得到更大的胜算。而凡是让了步的文章，C国人都很欢迎，因为这样他们才好向当事人施以保持一致的压力。从C国的立场来看，战俘自愿写的这些文章是一份完美的承诺。靠着它，战俘的合作和立场转换很快就能顺理成章地确立起来。
销售商的例子:宝洁和通用食品这类大公司为什么总是要举办“25、50或100字”的宣传征文比赛。
征文比赛的目的是让尽量多的人写下对一种产品的表白，就跟C国人在战俘营搞政治征文比赛一样，两种情形的过程都一样。为了得到吸引人的奖品，参与者自愿写文章——尽管获胜的概率很小。他们知道，要想文章胜出，就必须赞美相关的产品。于是，他们开始寻找该产品值得称道的地方，并在文章里加以描述。随之而来的结果是，成千上万的人以书面形式证明了该产品具有这样那样的优点，在书面文字的神奇推动之下，他们真正相信了自己写下的东西。
Get the Truth 里面的记载:
When the Chinese took American prisoners during the Korean War, they knew that they would face strong resistance in their efforts to get the Americans to provide information, or to willingly serve as conduits of propaganda. However, they were able to achieve many of their aims by means of a simple tool of influence that’s extremely powerful in overcoming resistance. It’s what the social psychologist Robert Cialdini refers to in his book Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion as commitment/consistency.
Rather than employ torture or other crude methods that were, at best, limited in their effectiveness, the Chinese, Cialdini points out, simply persuaded the Americans to make small concessions, in writing. Over time, the psychological impact of the concessions increased, and the prisoners’ statements grew to be more and more reflective of sentiments that could be considered as pro-Chinese and anti-Western. The Chinese intelligence officers had tapped into a strong psychological driver: the desire people have to act consistently with their public statements and with the image of how they are perceived.
January 22, 2022
At first I found the book's approach boring--reproducing the narrative of interrogations word by word. But then I began to realize this approach was giving me a visceral sense of how much time discerning the truth can take and a verbal rhythm I could adopt that would be effective in revealing the truth. I think distilling a few high-level tips from the process would be difficult, especially if you really want to get across how painstaking the process is. Along the way, I learned about certain behaviors that can indicate at best diversion from a person's baseline and, at worst, increase the likelihood that person is being deceptive. One of these behaviors is beautifully demonstrated in the book's reenactment of O.J. Simpson's first interview with law enforcement after his ex-wife Nicole Brown and Ron Goldman were found murdered. The reenactment is straight from the transcript of that interview. When O.J. makes deceptive statements, which we know now were around several particular details, he buys time: he hems and haws and then provides an answer but one with caveats. Those are the only times when he does this. Hearing the transcript read aloud enabled me to baseline O.J. Simpson, albeit in my amateur way. If the authors of this book ever re-wrote an updated version, they might consider framing each scenario by what the reader can expect and providing an analysis afterwards with clearly-stated take-aways. This might keep readers engaged without detracting from the book's approach. I learned so much from this book, in particular the value in keeping the person being questioned in short-term thinking and finding a way to connect with the person. Ironically, those methods involve certain levels of deception, but, as body language expert Mark Bowden says, our society depends both on telling lies and telling the truth (I paraphrase). I strongly recommend "Get the Truth." I read it after reading Chase Hughes' book "Six-Minute X-Ray" and while reading Greg Hartley's book "How to Spot a Liar." I'm still reading Hartley's book, and it takes a similar immersion approach that "Get the Truth" takes. I just cracked the cover of one of Mark Bowden's book, so I'm eager to complete his and Hartley's and see how they compare / add to my knowledge base.
April 3, 2020
"Poznaj Prawdę" to kontynuacja "Anatomii Kłamstwa". Są one jednak na tyle niezależne, że każdą można czytać bez znajomości drugiej - tak było w moim przypadku. Jak wskazuje tytuł, część ta opiera się na dochodzeniu do prawdy. W "Anatomii Kłamstwa" będziemy natomiast tropić kłamstwo. Jednakże, aby poznać prawdę trzeba rozróżnić kłamstwo od prawdy - tego również nauczymy się z "Poznaj Prawdę". Musimy mieć jednak na uwadze, iż nie zastąpi ona prawdziwej praktyki. "Tak jak nigdy nie przeprowadziłbyś operacji po samym przeczytaniu podręcznika opisującego techniki chirurgiczne, nie możemy zakładać, że przeczytanie tej czy jakiejkolwiek innej książki odpowiednio przygotuje cię do sytuacji, w której celem jest dotarcie do prawdy. Tak jak w przypadku każdej innej umiejętności musisz ćwiczyć to, czego się nauczyłeś" - mówi Peter Romary
Czy ta książka nauczyła mnie czegoś? Tak, poznałem wiele zwodniczych zachowań mających na celu odwrócenie mojej uwagi od sedna sprawy. Dowiedziałem się jakie taktyki mogą próbować stosowań na mnie potencjalni sprzedawcy, a nawet ludzie w życiu codziennym. Odniosłem wrażenie, że jest głównie kierowana do funkcjonariuszy policji, ale nadal uważam ją za wartościową. Powinniśmy patrzeć na każdą sprawę, z perspektywy innej osoby - o czym zapominamy. Oprócz tego najważniejsze jest zachowanie spokoju. Nasuwa mi się na myśl, że książkę tę można po części nazwać analizą umysłu i sposobu rozumowania człowieka. Dlatego jeśli chcecie łatwiej poznawać prawdę - ta książka może wam to ułatwić.
Czy ta książka nauczyła mnie czegoś? Tak, poznałem wiele zwodniczych zachowań mających na celu odwrócenie mojej uwagi od sedna sprawy. Dowiedziałem się jakie taktyki mogą próbować stosowań na mnie potencjalni sprzedawcy, a nawet ludzie w życiu codziennym. Odniosłem wrażenie, że jest głównie kierowana do funkcjonariuszy policji, ale nadal uważam ją za wartościową. Powinniśmy patrzeć na każdą sprawę, z perspektywy innej osoby - o czym zapominamy. Oprócz tego najważniejsze jest zachowanie spokoju. Nasuwa mi się na myśl, że książkę tę można po części nazwać analizą umysłu i sposobu rozumowania człowieka. Dlatego jeśli chcecie łatwiej poznawać prawdę - ta książka może wam to ułatwić.
April 17, 2021
This is the follow up book to "Spy The Lie" which I also enjoyed. This book reiterates some of the principles in "Spy The Lie," using some of the same real-life examples. It dives deep on the the following principles:
1. The Transition Statement using DOC (direct observance of concern) and DOG (direct observation of guilt);
2. SEL technique in your monologue to "get to the truth," or spy the lie;"
3. It breaks down your monologue in greater detail than "spy the lie;"
4. It goes through the 3 forms of resistance to get the truth: Convincing statements, emotion and denials;
5. It dives deep on the Presumptive Question which sets up your Bait Question;
6. Reminds you to be in L-Squared Mode (seeing and listening at the same time);
7. Then it goes deep on Cognitive Biases...Peter Romary, the lawyer and co-author does a real good job on this and touches on the following biases:
A. Optimism Bias
B. Confirmation Bias
C. Cognitive Dissonance
D. Confirmation/Consistency Bias
E. Rule of Reciprocity Bias
F. Dunning Kruger Effect Bias - thinking you are more skilled in something where you are clearly lacking
Then, it ends with a re-visit to the OJ interrogation, and applying what you learned to that statement. So, it is a good and insightful book on using questions to get to the truth in any encounter. I therefore recommend it and the precursor book, "Spy The Lie."
1. The Transition Statement using DOC (direct observance of concern) and DOG (direct observation of guilt);
2. SEL technique in your monologue to "get to the truth," or spy the lie;"
3. It breaks down your monologue in greater detail than "spy the lie;"
4. It goes through the 3 forms of resistance to get the truth: Convincing statements, emotion and denials;
5. It dives deep on the Presumptive Question which sets up your Bait Question;
6. Reminds you to be in L-Squared Mode (seeing and listening at the same time);
7. Then it goes deep on Cognitive Biases...Peter Romary, the lawyer and co-author does a real good job on this and touches on the following biases:
A. Optimism Bias
B. Confirmation Bias
C. Cognitive Dissonance
D. Confirmation/Consistency Bias
E. Rule of Reciprocity Bias
F. Dunning Kruger Effect Bias - thinking you are more skilled in something where you are clearly lacking
Then, it ends with a re-visit to the OJ interrogation, and applying what you learned to that statement. So, it is a good and insightful book on using questions to get to the truth in any encounter. I therefore recommend it and the precursor book, "Spy The Lie."
December 6, 2018
As the followup to the very interesting and somewhat useful Spy the Lie, this book is not entirely without merit, but it coasts on the coattails of its predecessor in obvious ways, padded just up to, but not quite to the point of being a blatant cash grab. In careers that spanned decades, it’s curious that the authors felt compelled to use the same half dozen or so anecdotes to make their points in this book too. The adroit interrogations that seemed impressive in the first installment now seem like they were more the exception than the rule. Take note also that the appendices start on page 154 of a 272 page book.
The book wanders off topic at times, actually getting into negotiation tactics near the end. I didn't mind this so much, as the information was useful and served as a refresher on the content of William Ury's Getting Past No (a book which I read earlier this year, and one that the authors actually cite).
A final tidbit I did glean from the book’s pages is the authors’ confirmation that while CIA advanced interrogation (torture) techniques might bring about confessions, they often don’t reveal truth.
Duh.
The book wanders off topic at times, actually getting into negotiation tactics near the end. I didn't mind this so much, as the information was useful and served as a refresher on the content of William Ury's Getting Past No (a book which I read earlier this year, and one that the authors actually cite).
A final tidbit I did glean from the book’s pages is the authors’ confirmation that while CIA advanced interrogation (torture) techniques might bring about confessions, they often don’t reveal truth.
Duh.
March 30, 2021
Siapa sih yang belum pernah mendengar tentang Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) ? Aku rasa kita semua pernah mendengarnya hehe. Philip Houston, Michael Floyd & Susan Carnicero adalah para mantan anggota CIA yang sudah kenyang dengan pengalaman di dunia intelijen, kontraspionase, kontraterorisme, dsb.
Dalam buku ini mereka mengungkap seperti apa metodologi yang mereka gunakan selama melakukan interogasi dengan seseorang. Metodologi itu hebatnya bisa membuat 'seseorang' mengatakan yang sebenarnya, mengatakan sebuah kebenaran, sebuah kejujuran sekaligus mampu mendeteksi apakah orang tersebut berbohong atau tidak. Lalu di bagian akhir buku ini, Peter Romary, seorang pengacara dan arbiter internasional, mengulas bagaimana metodologi ini bisa diterapkan dalam bidang hukum, bisnis, dan negosiasi.
Buku ini dibagi menjadi 13 bab dan setelah bab terakhir ada 3 apendiks. Hampir di semua bab, pembaca akan sering menjumpai dialog-dialog dari wawancara maupun interogasi. Penulis juga mengangkat cukup banyak kasus dari pencurian, pembunuhan, hingga terorisme untuk mendukung penjelasan metodologi mereka.
Dalam buku ini mereka mengungkap seperti apa metodologi yang mereka gunakan selama melakukan interogasi dengan seseorang. Metodologi itu hebatnya bisa membuat 'seseorang' mengatakan yang sebenarnya, mengatakan sebuah kebenaran, sebuah kejujuran sekaligus mampu mendeteksi apakah orang tersebut berbohong atau tidak. Lalu di bagian akhir buku ini, Peter Romary, seorang pengacara dan arbiter internasional, mengulas bagaimana metodologi ini bisa diterapkan dalam bidang hukum, bisnis, dan negosiasi.
Buku ini dibagi menjadi 13 bab dan setelah bab terakhir ada 3 apendiks. Hampir di semua bab, pembaca akan sering menjumpai dialog-dialog dari wawancara maupun interogasi. Penulis juga mengangkat cukup banyak kasus dari pencurian, pembunuhan, hingga terorisme untuk mendukung penjelasan metodologi mereka.
May 22, 2019
Although this short, easy-to-read book has some fascinating case studies, comparatively few readers outside intelligence, law enforcement, or human resources truly need a DIY manual on interrogating liars. Nevertheless, much of the advice given here seems sensible in conducting any sort of stressful interview: lowering your voice, slowing your speech rate, and being as engaging as possible—including perhaps even bringing doughnuts.
The authors also amusingly (considering their topic) suggest concocting monologues that are “relevant and believable, but not necessarily factual” (46)—though lying to your own kids is discountenanced as a bad strategy (69). Some advice is downright Screwtapian, as when the investigator is encouraged to keep the liar from considering “the possible consequences of his actions,” downplaying “the gravity of the situation….with statements like, ‘It’s not the end of the world,’ or ‘It’s a fixable problem.’ You just don’t specify what the ‘fix’ is.” (53)
The authors also amusingly (considering their topic) suggest concocting monologues that are “relevant and believable, but not necessarily factual” (46)—though lying to your own kids is discountenanced as a bad strategy (69). Some advice is downright Screwtapian, as when the investigator is encouraged to keep the liar from considering “the possible consequences of his actions,” downplaying “the gravity of the situation….with statements like, ‘It’s not the end of the world,’ or ‘It’s a fixable problem.’ You just don’t specify what the ‘fix’ is.” (53)
August 18, 2019
Few books portray such value as this one. If you’re in law enforcement, or just obsessed with honesty like myself, this book will teach you so many practical tools to extract the truth.
After reading Spy the Lie a while back, my only complaint had been that it was too short. I wanted more! And then low and behold, I came across Get the Truth and it absolutely delivered.
Beautifully balancing real life examples, common mistakes, and psychology, Get the Truth will have you approaching situations in a completely different way.
Some of the more valuable lessons I enjoyed - nervous behaviors are not always indicative of telling a lie, empathy is key, creating a judgement-free space is essential to someone opening up, and you should always aim to keep the person in short-term thinking mode vs long-term thinking mode.
All in all, brilliant and I will likely buy this book to revisit again and again.
Highly recommend!
After reading Spy the Lie a while back, my only complaint had been that it was too short. I wanted more! And then low and behold, I came across Get the Truth and it absolutely delivered.
Beautifully balancing real life examples, common mistakes, and psychology, Get the Truth will have you approaching situations in a completely different way.
Some of the more valuable lessons I enjoyed - nervous behaviors are not always indicative of telling a lie, empathy is key, creating a judgement-free space is essential to someone opening up, and you should always aim to keep the person in short-term thinking mode vs long-term thinking mode.
All in all, brilliant and I will likely buy this book to revisit again and again.
Highly recommend!
March 5, 2024
I read this book as a follow up to Spy the Lie. There is some overlap between the two books, but Get the Truth is more detailed and comprehensive than the former. I feel like between the two books Get the Truth cover 75% and Spy the Lie covers 25% of the information given.
What I like about Get the Truth is how it teaches through repetition. Concepts are repeated over and over again which aids memory. I do think reading Spy the Lie helps you get prepared for Get the Truth but I do think in a pinch Get the Truth can be read on its own.
This book is useful for anyone who negotiates or needs to negotiate with others, which should be almost all of us. I think it gives you the tools to analyze the negotiations and situations you are in and allows you to come out with the information you need. It won't change your life, but it will optimize your negotiating ability with others.
What I like about Get the Truth is how it teaches through repetition. Concepts are repeated over and over again which aids memory. I do think reading Spy the Lie helps you get prepared for Get the Truth but I do think in a pinch Get the Truth can be read on its own.
This book is useful for anyone who negotiates or needs to negotiate with others, which should be almost all of us. I think it gives you the tools to analyze the negotiations and situations you are in and allows you to come out with the information you need. It won't change your life, but it will optimize your negotiating ability with others.
October 19, 2018
If you want to know how to get people to tell you the truth, you need to understand some basic techniques. You need to develop a long monologue, that is empathetic, build trust with the person you are 'interrogating' and be extremely patient. That is how the basics seem to be provided to you. Yet that is a rather simplistic view. The real skill is know when to switch your technique because you identify that a shift in behaviour has occurred.
I have to say I found the hypothetical interview with OJ Simpson a wonderful piece of fiction but did not add any value. I mean they could have pretended to interview any historical figure and make them confess as well.
Interesting read, good overview but will not make you an expert in the field without a lot of practice.
I have to say I found the hypothetical interview with OJ Simpson a wonderful piece of fiction but did not add any value. I mean they could have pretended to interview any historical figure and make them confess as well.
Interesting read, good overview but will not make you an expert in the field without a lot of practice.
May 21, 2019
This is the second book I've read by these authors, the first being Spy the Lie. I must say I have been pleasantly surprised with both of them. I picked them up to help hone my professional skill set and they certainly helped me accomplish that goal. They were precise, practical, and very informative. If you are looking to develop skills related to investigations, specifically in the realm of interview and interrogation techniques, then this is a great place to begin. But beyond being really great practical books, they were also surprisingly enjoyable! The writing style and stories made them leaps and bounds more engaging to read than a text book. All in all, I recommend this book for anyone in the law enforcement profession.
September 15, 2019
The basic message is "Nice guys finish first".
It's an important message as there still seems to be a widespread perception that harsh interrogation is the best way to get people to confess.
Well, the experts seem to think otherwise.
It reminded me of the negotiating book "Never Split the difference" by Chris Voss. There the objective is different but there is a similar message that empathy and building rapport is what generally gets the best results.
I also thought of a section I read about the Nazi interrogator Hanns Joachim Scharff in Preet Bharara's book "Doing Justice". Bharara describes how Scharff was remarkably successful in getting information out of American airmen precisely because he was so nice.
It's an important message as there still seems to be a widespread perception that harsh interrogation is the best way to get people to confess.
Well, the experts seem to think otherwise.
It reminded me of the negotiating book "Never Split the difference" by Chris Voss. There the objective is different but there is a similar message that empathy and building rapport is what generally gets the best results.
I also thought of a section I read about the Nazi interrogator Hanns Joachim Scharff in Preet Bharara's book "Doing Justice". Bharara describes how Scharff was remarkably successful in getting information out of American airmen precisely because he was so nice.
July 2, 2024
gniot ze omg. jedna z gorszych ksiazek ktore czytalem od jakiegos czasu. Idea ktora ma zalozenie w tytule jest ladna i interesujaca, jednak przekazanie informacji i poruszanie sie wokół tematu jest jak w przedszkolu.
Brakuje konkretów i mam wrażenie, że historie są wymyślone. Nie ma wiedzy na której mozna bazowac. Nie ma informacji z których mozna czerpac, jest tylko zapelnianie ston, zeby to ladnie wygladalo.
Nie wiem dlaczego sie skusilem na krzykliwa okladke i na interlinie przez pol strony...
Nie warto wracac - warto wyciągnać główne koncepty i z nich korzystać w oderwaniu od książki
Brakuje konkretów i mam wrażenie, że historie są wymyślone. Nie ma wiedzy na której mozna bazowac. Nie ma informacji z których mozna czerpac, jest tylko zapelnianie ston, zeby to ladnie wygladalo.
Nie wiem dlaczego sie skusilem na krzykliwa okladke i na interlinie przez pol strony...
Nie warto wracac - warto wyciągnać główne koncepty i z nich korzystać w oderwaniu od książki
May 2, 2019
The original book, Spy the Lie, was really good. They use the exact same stories in this one, though, so if you've read the first book, the dramatic impact of the stories is a bit spoiled because you know about them already.
Other people have mentioned this book feels padded, and I tend to agree. The techniques they talk about are pretty standard now, and if you look up any modern police guide to interrogation, you'll get the same information. That having been said, a good "refresher" on those techniques with enough space in between to think and reflect.
Other people have mentioned this book feels padded, and I tend to agree. The techniques they talk about are pretty standard now, and if you look up any modern police guide to interrogation, you'll get the same information. That having been said, a good "refresher" on those techniques with enough space in between to think and reflect.
August 14, 2019
I wasn't sure if I had read this before or not. It sounded so familiar. Maybe. I'm going to call it read. If not, then no one can really tell. I had the book open in front of me for a while. I was staring at it. How can anyone tell whether I was taking in what was scrawled on the pages again or not?
Maybe my confusion comes from the fact that I have read some other FBI/CIA documents.
This book made me question many previous assumptions I made about the people around me.
Who are you, anyway?
Maybe my confusion comes from the fact that I have read some other FBI/CIA documents.
This book made me question many previous assumptions I made about the people around me.
Who are you, anyway?
May 18, 2024
It's good but has a few flaws. If I could, I'd rate this 3.5 stars. If you only have time to read 100 pages, read appendix 1.
Pros: a very good primer on how to keep your head when eliciting information from someone who might not want to reveal anything, valuing calm non judgemental approach, focus on the person, and serious preparation beforehand.
Cons: doesn't discuss at all weakness of this technique (and every technique has a weakness) and the fictional OJ Simpson interrogation was a useless flight of fancy.
Pros: a very good primer on how to keep your head when eliciting information from someone who might not want to reveal anything, valuing calm non judgemental approach, focus on the person, and serious preparation beforehand.
Cons: doesn't discuss at all weakness of this technique (and every technique has a weakness) and the fictional OJ Simpson interrogation was a useless flight of fancy.
February 15, 2025
Książka ta zawiera cenne uwagi dotyczące skutecznego docierania do prawdy; zapoznaje nas z metodami perswazji oraz pokazuje, jak odpowiednio pokierować rozmowę, by druga osoba nawet mimo początkowej niechęci w końcu powiedziała prawdę. Przybliża również częste błędy w negocjacjach/przesłuchaniach i pokazuje, jak im zapobiegać. A wszystko to poparte przykładami z życia autorów (agentów CIA). Myślę, że coś z tej lektury wyniosłam i zapamiętam na przyszłość 🙂↕️
…A jeżeli chodzi o transkrypcję faktycznego przesłuchania O. J. Simpsona to nie wiedziałam, że można aż tak źle je przeprowadzić XD
…A jeżeli chodzi o transkrypcję faktycznego przesłuchania O. J. Simpsona to nie wiedziałam, że można aż tak źle je przeprowadzić XD
December 4, 2017
awalnya menyenangkan, tapi jadi membosankan. mungkin karena ga punya passion ataupun kepentingan dengan tema buku ini. seandainya pengemasan isi buku lebih menarik sepertinya akan mengasyikan.
ada beberapa bagian yg dilompati (banyak!) jadi tidak bisa memberikan review yg credible #halah #banyakgaya.
ada beberapa bagian yg dilompati (banyak!) jadi tidak bisa memberikan review yg credible #halah #banyakgaya.
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